How is the SMS Export different from the Message Log?

They are not that different. The Message Log can be downloaded to Excel too. The SMS Export is in the same format, but is more scalable for large projects

Can I send SMS reminders over e-mail?

Yes. SMS reminders can be sent to e-mail.

There is no cost and no character limit to send reminders over e-mail.

Go to Message Content, and under the Send* dropdown select e-mail.

Can CommCare Messaging work with USSD?

CommCare Messaging does not support USSD

USSD stands for Unstructured Supplementary Service Data.

If your project requires USSD, consider using a system like Telerivet. Telerivet's USSD Expansion pack enables you to send USSD requests and receive replies via Telerivet, allowing you to check and recharge your phone's balance and interact with mobile banking services.

How do I specify a language for sending messages?

If you have multiple languages in your project, check that all languages appear under the Languages page. To set the language for a mobile worker, use the mobile worker page. To set the language for a case, include the case property “language_code.” English = en, French = fra.

When do I need to set up a gateway?

What common risks should I be aware of regarding gateways?

Gateways act as a pass through. Delivery of SMS messages depends on the reliability of the local mobile operator.

Gateways cannot send messages if they are offline.

Gateways cannot guarantee that SMS messages are delivered on time.

How do the established gateways on HQ work?

Twilio gateways use phone numbers maintained by CommCareHQ to send messages inside the US and a limited number of international countries. The per message rates can be high based on the country destination.

Who manages SMS gateways?

SMS Gateways are managed in the SMS Connectivity section of the Messaging Tab

Project staff are responsible for managing SMS gateways.

Project staff are best suited for this, especially if it requires monitoring and maintaining a phone numbers in the field.

Does CommCare have a preferred Gateway provider?

Both Twilio and Telerivet integrate easily with CommCareHQ.

For international SMS projects, many projects use a separate Android phone to create a Telerivet gateway. This requires an active local SIM card.

For U.S. based SMS projects, many projects choose to use Twilio. A web based phone number can be purchased for $1/month.

What is the volume cut-off for a Telerivet gateway versus going to Telecoms?

If the messaging system is meant to deliver messages en masse at a specific time of day.

Telerivet Gateways have an SMS rate limit, of about 600 messages per hour.

Often projects will calculate the daily SMS rate limit, but should actually consider the peak number of messages per hour. The daily limit per Android gateway is 14400 messages a day.

For example, 6,000 cases are all set to receive an SMS survey message at 10h00. The rate limit works such that it would take 10 hours to send out messages in batches of 600 message per hour. The last of these cases would receive their survey message at 20h00.

How do I manage the SMS sending rate limit? Does it depend on my Telerivet subscription level?

The SMS rate limit does not depend on the paid Telerivet subscription.

The SMS rate limit can be increased by downloading Expansion Packs from the Google Play store. Each additional expansion pack raises the rate limit by 60 messages per hour. You can download up to 10 expansion packs.

One way to further increase the SMS rate limit, is to purchase an additional Android phone, and add a local SIM card.

CommCare Messaging supports splitting contacts between gateways.

Is there a difference in Message Loads between inbound and outbound SMS?

Inbound SMS messages do not have rate limits

Outbound SMS message do have rate limits, based on the gateways capacity. Shortcodes do not have the same rate limits.

How do you test an SMS gateway?

To test an SMS gateway, test each of the rules in your SMS system design.

The first priority is to confirm that messages are sent to phones, and incoming messages are received.

To pass gateway tests, there must be an active gateway phone and a working API connection.

How do you test a gateway in multiple countries?

To test an SMS gateway in multiple countries, procure a SIM card for each country mobile operator. Start by sending test messages to each phone. Once received, send in a response to confirm that messages can be sent both ways.

For more information regarding managing your SMS system check out the Telerivet FAQ for helpful tips.

SMS Surveys

What question types can I use to send out questions via SMS survey?

Good

Integer, respond with a number

Single-select, respond with a specific choice

Date based, set the date sequence for your project space

Not so good

Text questions are prone to error data entry errors, and hard to interpret

Not supported

Images, multimedia

GPS

What are limitations for using SMS Surveys?

SMS Surveys require inbound messages. Support for inbound messages is limited to projects with a subscription that is PRO or higher.

SMS Surveys are not idea for collecting unstructured incoming messages

A contact cannot have more than one open survey at a time.

A contact cannot restart or overwrite submitted SMS surveys

How flexible is two way messaging?

Two way messaging with mobile workers requires a verification workflow to enable inbound messages, where each phone replies ‘123’ to establish the phone number in HQ.

How do you test that the SMS survey is setup correctly?

Try creating a Keyword, that can trigger the form used for the SMS survey.

How do I test the send time of an SMS Survey?

Timezones in HQ are set to UTC as a standard. Use the reminder calendar, to compare the time configured in the reminder to the planned delivery in the calendar.

SMS Reminders

How do I reference a case property in an sms reminder?

In the content section of the reminder set-up, you can reference a case property using the syntax {case.name} or {case.phone_number}.Follow the link to learn more about Setting Up Reminders

Note: The case property must exist to be output in the SMS message.

Note: It is important to use brackets { } and not parentheses.

What happens when you re-activate a multi-event reminder?

If you re-activate a reminder your Index Day will reset to 0 for all the contacts who receive that reminder.

Do not reactivate a reminder if you have a long sequence of messages.

What is the index day a multi-event reminder?

A multi-event reminder starts at Day 0. Each day thereafter increments by 1.

If your reminder is activated on Monday, Day 1 is a Tuesday, Day 2 is a Wednesday and so on.

Tip: Working directly with mobile operators can be a cost effective solution.

Note: Sending text messages between countries will be more expensive.

SMS Implementation

Has anyone done an SMS project where the intended beneficiary did not have a phone but the husband did?

Yes. This is more frequent then you might expect, as phone ownership amongst women is not a guarantee.

CommCare Messaging supports one primary phone number. During case registration, the preferred phone number is set as the recipient. The field contact_phone_number is a case property and can be updated over time.

What is the best time of day to send reminder messages?

Before setting a send time, consult with recipients to understand their daily routines.

The best practices is to allow each contact to set a time that works for them.

If possible, allow the send time to be flexible so that users to change it over the life of the project.